The family of an LGBTI activist hacked to death in Bangladesh, the sister of a young man gunned down by Jamaican police, and 11 human rights defenders in Turkey are among those who will be receiving letters of support from Amnesty International supporters this December, as the organization launches its fifteenth global letter writing campaign, Write for Rights.

Every December, Amnesty International supporters across the globe write millions of letters and take actions for people whose human rights are under attack, in what has become the world’s biggest human rights campaign. Last year at least 4.6 million actions were taken.

“For 15 years Write for Rights has given people hope in their darkest moments. Imagine being ill in jail and receiving thousands of letters of support and solidarity; or finding out that people all over the world are behind you in your quest for justice for a murdered relative. Writing letters really can change lives,” said Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

Join activists around the world this Human Rights Day for a letter-writing marathon on Twitter and Instagram.

Write for Rights is one of the world’s largest human rights events and on Human Rights Day we want the world to see how far and wide the campaign reaches, and all the great work we do to change lives.

On or around December 10th, 2017 we will be using Twitter and Instagram to show that people all over the world are writing letters for those whose rights have been abused. You can find more information on Write for Rights cases here.

Let’s show the world that human rights matter, by making the 2017 Write for Rights hashtag #WriteforRights appear in conversations online throughout the day!

Last year Amnesty supporters across the world wrote an astonishing 3.7 million letters, messages, emails, tweets and much more as part of Write for Rights. From Afghanistan to Zambia, dedicated campaigners, students, school kids and loads of others got on board. In Canada, Amnesty supporters took action in more than 1000 locations across the country, taking over 30,000 actions. Together, we demanded change on behalf of people and communities suffering appalling human rights abuses.

And guess what? It made a massive difference. Here are five people whose lives were transformed by the power of the pen.

Prominent Venezuelan opposition leader, Member of Parliament, human rights activist and prisoner of conscience, Rosmit Mantilla has been released following 2 years in prison!

Thank you to Amnesty International supporters who took action on his case!

Rosmit send these personal words of thanks:

"I am a human rights activists borrowed by politics to humanize Venezuelan politics, to get some rights in the Venezuelan politcs.

I am very thankful for all the activism voices everyone has raised for me. My commitment right now is human rights for everyone."

The release of Rosmit, who was unfairly imprisoned since 2014 as punishment for his human rights work, must mark a profound shift in the government’s approach to dissent and freedom of speech. He was released after spending more than two years in pre-trial detention at the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service facilities in Caracas.

In response to the news that the 16-year prison sentence against prominent human rights defender Narges Mohammadi, who is critically ill, has been upheld on appeal, Amnesty International’s Research and Advocacy Director, Philip Luther, said:

“This verdict is yet another cruel and devastating blow to human rights in Iran, which demonstrates the authorities’ utter contempt for justice. Narges Mohammadi is a prominent advocate of human rights and a prisoner of conscience. She should be lauded for her courage not locked in a prison cell for 16 years.

“By insisting that this harsh and appalling sentence is imposed for her peaceful human rights work, the authorities have laid bare their intent to silence human rights defenders at all costs.

March 8th is International Women’s Day and we’re taking a moment to reflect on how your support has changed women’s lives around the world in the past year.

From policy breakthroughs to freedom for courageous women human rights defenders, here are just a few of the ways you’ve defended women’s human rights and helped break down barriers for women and girls: